Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Assalamu-alaikum.

Jazaka'Allah Khair for your answer re: this.

I found it strange that from the Hadith one could not work out the last third of the night. However, your answer baffles me.

The Hadith says last third of the night, and you gave the example of 6pm to 6am for sunset to dawn. So, 1 third is 4 hours, thus last third is from 2am, but why only until 4am and not 6am? Where does the 5th and 6th portion of the night come into play, when the Hadith only mentions a third of the night?

Please elaborate.

Baraka'Allah Feek.

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Best time for tahajjud

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Firstly brother, allow us to reiterate that the ‘tahajjud’ prayers are considered voluntary worship and not obligatory; and if one offers any voluntary prayers between the obligatory Isha and the Fajr prayers, they would have their reward with their Lord Most Gracious, Insha Allah.

Secondly, the question posed by the brother and our subsequent answer was to clarify what was the absolute ‘best’ time to offer one’s voluntary ‘tahajjud’ prayers.

We would like to clarify here that the time issue when offering the voluntary ‘tahajjud’ prayers during the night hours is not between right and wrong, but rather between what is ‘good’ and what is ‘best’!

Abu Hurairah reports that the Messenger of Allah (saws) said: "Our Lord Descends to the lowest heaven during the last third of the night, inquiring: `Who will call on Me so that I may respond to him? Who is asking something of Me so I may give it to him? Who is asking for My forgiveness so I may forgive him?"`

Related by Bukhari and Muslim.

If one bases their determination on only the above quoted hadith, indeed, it would seem that any portion of the last third of the night would suffice! But if one combines the above quoted hadith, with the below quoted guidance from the Messenger of Allah (saws), then to divide the night hours into six portions would satisfy the criteria for all the hadiths to determine the absolute ‘best’ time for ‘tahajjud’.

Amr ibn Abasah reports that he heard the Prophet (saws) say: "The closest that a slave comes to his Lord is during the middle of the latter portion of the night. If you can be among those who remember Allah, the Exalted One, at that time, then do so."

Related by al-Hakim, at-Tirmidhi,Nasa`i and Ibn Khuzaimah.

Abu Muslim asked Hadrat Abu Dharr Ghaffari (r.a.): "Which late-night prayer is the best?" He said: "I asked the Messenger of Allah (saws) the same that you asked me and he (saws) said, `The (one done during) middle of the latter half of the night, and very few do it.`"

Related by Ahmad.

The exact terms used are ‘the middle of the latter half of the night’. Thus to satisfy this particular criteria, one would need to divide the night hours into six parts, and the ‘middle of the latter half’ would be the time between the 4^th and the 5^th parts of the night.

Your Question: …So, 1 third is 4 hours, thus last third is from 2am, but why only until 4am and not 6am? Where does the 5th and 6th portion of the night come into play, when the Hadith only mentions a third of the night?

Abdullah ibn `Amr reports that the Prophet (saws) said: "The most beloved fast to Allah is the fast of (Prophet) Dawood (a.s.). And the most beloved prayer to Allah is the prayer of (Prophet) Dawood (a.s.). He (Prophet Dawood (a.s.)) would sleep half of the night and then pray during the next third of the night and then sleep during the last sixth of the night. And he would fast one day and not fast the next."

Related by Bukhari and Muslim.

If one divides the night hours into six parts, then the criteria for all the listed hadiths would be satisfied, Insha Allah.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan